The present invention relates to a system for communicating among a moderator, participants, and others in a collaborative exchange over a network.
There are a number of settings in which it is desirable for participants in a collaborative setting to be able to communicate and exchange ideas, comments, and/or suggestions electronically. For example, while a traditional classroom setting facilitates discussion which can be organized and directed by a teacher, the possibilities are more limited if the students are in different physical locations and participate electronically. In a business context, members of a development team or other group may not be able meet in one physical location or at one time, but may desire to engage in a structured collaborative project.
While it is currently possible for people to communicate by email, it would be desirable to have a system that includes multiple messaging applications grouped together, and a system that allows significant flexibility for a moderator of a discussion to control the flow of messages among participants. In addition, it would be desirable to have different types of messaging that could be used among participants or between participants and a moderator.